Category: China Glaze

Why, Yes, It’s Positively Scorching in here!

China Glaze Orange You Hot? Nail Lacquer ($3.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “bright orange with attention-grabbing gold glimmer.” It’s a bright tangerine orange with very fine gold shimmer. Honestly, that shimmer is nearly imperceptible under most lighting conditions. It’s there, and it has a subtle effect to add depth, but it’s not “attention-grabbing.” Zoya Arizona is lighter, more subdued, and a cream finish. Sinful Cloud 9 is a bit darker and has larger gold shimmer. China Glaze Papaya Punch has a cream finish and looks a shade darker. China Glaze Sun Worshipper is a bit brighter but also has a cream finish.

This shade was very nearly opaque after two coats, but at some angles, there’s a hint of visible nail line coming through. I liked the consistency on this shade better than several other shades in this collection, though it still seemed a bit thicker than the norm for China Glaze. It flowed a lot better, though, and I didn’t have trouble with it pooling along the sides. There were some noticeable brush strokes under bright light. I typically get a week of wear with China Glaze’s formula–no chips, just minor tip wear.

The consistency was somewhat thick, so each coat was thicker than I’d like, which resulted in some pooling of polish along the edges. The shimmer also created some noticeable brush strokes, but the color was opaque after two coats. It’s just a fussier formula overall–takes longer to dry, more patience required to get even coats (and color). I’m usually a fan of China Glaze’s formula, but something wasn’t quite right with a lot of the shades in their summer launch. The colors are fun and gorgeous (totally summer-esque), so it’s a little disappointing! I could see this lime green working well on toes. I normally get a week of wear with no chipping and minor tip wear with China Glaze’s formula.

Surprisingly, this wasn’t opaque after two coats; there is a hint of visible nail line, and a third coat would likely yield fully opaque color. I think with this kind of shade, it looks best when it’s completely solid in color. The formula was on the thicker side, so it did not apply flawlessly. The biggest thing I noticed was that it took longer than usual to dry, even though it’s slightly neon (neons, like mattes, tend to dry faster). It dries down to a semi-matte finish, and if you prefer a shiny finish, I’d recommend using a glossy top coat. I typically get a week of wear out of China Glaze’s formula with no chipping and minor tip wear.

There’s definitely visible nail line, which is business-as-usual for a jelly finish. I swatched with two coats, and I did experiment with a third, but the nail line was still rather visible so if you wanted more opaque color, you’d have to use a base polish first. It has the lovely, squishy quality of jellies, though, but it absolutely needs a top coat to retain that shiny finish. Without a top coat, it dries down to a semi-matte finish, and it seemed to dry a bit faster than other shades in the collection. Application was also more on par with the quality I expect from China Glaze! Ride the Waves applied easily, evenly, and fluidly without bubbling or pooling along the sides. The formula wasn’t too thick or too thin. I typically get a week of wear out of China Glaze’s formula with no chipping but minor tip wear.

It was fully opaque after two coats, though the consistency was surprisingly on the thick side (as were many of the shades from this collection–at least the ones I’ve swatched so far). Not so thick that it’s really gloppy and unmanageable, but thick enough where you do have to be more concerned about pooling around the edges. I didn’t experience it with this shade, partially because I was more aware of the potential for it. It took a bit longer than average for each coat to dry, and I really recommend waiting between coats to avoid drag.